Group of seven people standing outdoors in a forested area with Mount St. Helens in the background.

Connecting people to the natural world.

Connecting people to each other.

The Arctos Herbalism & Ecosystems Intensive

making hawthorn tincture with mt. hood in view
A hand holding a woven basket filled with various wild mushrooms, outdoor setting with dirt and green foliage in the background.
A person kneeling on the grass offering a young plant to a woman standing nearby. The woman is smiling and looking at the plant, while the person on the ground is holding the plant with the roots in a container. The scene is outdoors in a garden or farm with trees and plants in the background.

Our most in-depth 2027 program is the Herbalism & Ecosystems Intensive. Half our time is outdoors, half our time is in the kitchen & the classroom.

In this intensive 120-hour course, you’ll build a solid understanding to become a well-rounded herbalist:
CONNECTION with the land that we live on through the lenses of botany and ethical wildcrafting;
UNDERSTANDING of medicinal plant actions through organoleptics, phytoconstituents, and herbal energetics;
HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE with making tinctures and medicinal-strength preparations;
& IN-DEPTH exploration of materia medica using native plants, weeds, kitchen herbs, and garden botanicals.

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Upcoming Workshops & Adventures

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Upcoming Workshops & Adventures ✿

  • The plants that surround us are full of healing and nourishing properties, if we know where to look!

    Join Missy for a seasonal stroll around the Hoyt Arboretum to explore the medicinal trees, weeds, and native plants we encounter. We’ll talk about which parts to use and which plants to avoid. You may even discover a new use for a plant you thought you knew well!

    Class size is limited and pre-registration is required through Hoyt Arboretum. Registration closes about 24 hours before class, or when the class fills. Please direct registration questions to Hoyt Arboretum. Class will be held outdoors, rain or shine. Cost is $15 Hoyt Arboretum members/$20 non-members.

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A woman in a red cap and hiking gear kneeling beside a large tree, examining or collecting something. She is in a dense forest with tall trees and a trail covered in leaves and roots.

Some of Our Previous Workshops & Adventures

Edible and Medicinal Plants of the Conifer Forest Plant Walk

On this pay-what-you-can walk, we will wander the conifer woods of Powell Butte with Gradey Proctor to learn plant ID and ecology, as well as the edible and medicinal uses of the plants we encounter. Our hike will be approximately two miles, mostly in a fairly flat section of the park. Bring a curious mind and whatever you need for a leisurely stroll in the forest. Dress for the weather.

The Medicinal Bounty of Your Garden — a free herbalism class

In the Portland area, we are surrounded by a wealth of medicinal plants. Chances are that you’re already growing some in your garden! Missy will talk about some healing herbs that you likely see on a regular basis. We’ll cover when to harvest these plants, how to use them, and more!

Supporting Sleep & Relaxation with Herbs

Anxiety & stress got you wound up? Unable to ground & chill out? You’re not alone! Join Missy to learn about plants that can help you calm down and sleep soundly. We’ll talk about five different medicinal plants in depth, covering best preparations, finding the right dosage, & more. Students will be able to learn by tasting, and everyone will get written materials to take home.

Our Customized Offerings

A person is preparing fresh vegetables including ginger, turmeric, and onions on a kitchen table. There are bowls of vegetables and a decorative plate nearby.

Private Workshops & Walks

Missy offers customized classes for individuals and groups. Topics can range from a backyard medicinal plant tour to how to make home remedies using healing herbs.

A person is holding a bunch of lavender flowers with purple blossoms and green stems. The person's feet are visible, wearing white pants and yellow shoes, standing on a gravel path near a garden bed filled with purple flowers and green foliage.

Health Consultations

Missy is available for health consultations by phone or in person. As a clinically trained herbalist, she looks for patterns of imbalance in each individual’s unique constitution and searches for root causes to health issues.

Hikers walking on a bridge near a waterfall in a lush green forest.

Group Field Trips

Botanical education hikes, foraging walks, and mushroom hunts are super fun! As with workshops, topics are highly customizable, and can range from novice-level to intermediate / advanced.

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The Arctos School of Herbal and Botanical Studies offers classes in plant medicine, botanical identification, mushroom foraging, community herbalism, and more in and around Portland, Oregon.

Our bioregional approach to herbalism grows from our commitment to social justice.

We believe that empowered, caring communities are preventative medicine.

Our Philosophy

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Our Story

Arctos School is Missy Rohs and a wide, wild community of students and alumni and guest instructors and friends in the Pacific Northwest and beyond.

The seeds of Arctos were planted in 2005 when Missy met Gradey Proctor while volunteering for Bark, an organization dedicated to protecting the Mt. Hood National Forest outside of Portland, Oregon.

Gradey and Missy quickly realized that they shared an intensely nerdy love of plants, with complimentary perspectives: that of an ecologist/botanist and an herbalist/healer. It didn’t take long for them to realize that they both enjoy teaching, too: At that point, Gradey was already moonlighting as a botany instructor, while Missy had been leading radical first aid and civil rights trainings for years.

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Person holding a green plant with small white flowers in front of Mount Hood in the background.

Our Instructors

a person wearing a chanterelle necklace and a brown shirt teaching an urban plant walk class

Missy Rohs

Founder and Instructor

Missy Rohs is a community herbalist, a queer nature geek, and a co-founder of The Arctos School. She grows, scavenges, and wildcrafts her own herbs with a focus on sustainable herbal remedies: those that grow easily in populated habitats, and those that can be harvested in the wild with minimal impact or beneficial impact. Her ecological ethos drives a slightly over exuberant love of weeds.

a person in a plaid shirt and backpack laughing while trying to unearth a matsutake mushroom from the ground

Guest Instructor

Gradey Proctor

An ecologist and botanist, Gradey Proctor has spent years studying the flora and fungi of Oregon's forests. He fell hopelessly in love with the Northwest upon his arrival in the '90s. Through classes, volunteer work, and employment, Gradey dove into the world of plants head-on. His longing to develop a sense of place has driven his passion for sustainably harvesting medicinal and edible plants.

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  • “I feel empowered now to help myself and others with this huge amount of herbal knowledge that I’ve gained. I feel more connected to the landscape and the wonderful diversity of plant life we have here. I also leave [this course] with a deep sense of community. I love being surrounded by people who care about the earth, themselves, and each other in ways I don’t see a lot in my daily life.” — Randi M.

  • “There’s just something to be said about someone physically handing you a plant and telling you about it! Something you can’t get from a book or the internet. Thanks so much for truly helping folks delve deeply into the world of herbs!” — Dallyse G.

  • “Arctos has changed my life. Thanks to Missy and Gradey, I will forever view the plant world with awe and excitement and anticipation of what new information lies just ahead. But most importantly, this class has reinforced my growing sense of the importance of slowing down and listening, watching, appreciating the beauty of the world around us, and communing with that world.” — Natalie V.

  • “From games to medicine making, I like the sense of support, sharing, and community that was created. Gradey and Missy have fun and creative ways of teaching that help information stick with you.” — Sue Ellen L.

  • “I cannot believe how much we have learned and how much we have yet to learn. I am leaving the Herbalism & Ecosystems program feeling like I have a community of radical plant lovers and healers and a more conscious sense of place. My time outside is so enriched by recognizing the individual plants that I walk among and my connection to people feels stronger because of the plant-person relationships that we cultivated.” — Paola S.

  • “I’m leaving the Herbal Immersion Program with a sense of inspiration and fulfillment. I loved the variety of tinctures, salves, salts, etc., that we made. Camping was amazing! I can’t believe how much my skill set has grown.” — Linda R.